Alps (from director of Dogtooth)

johnny_ultimate

Giorgos Lanthimos returns with another surreal black comedy. It's even weirder and more obtuse than Dogtooth was, and may well alienate even devoted fans of that. For others, it will reward the effort.

The film opens next Friday, but the Lighthouse - once again showing an admirable commitment to interesting special events - have a screening followed by a Lanthimos Q&A on Wednesday the 7th: http://www.onlinecinematickets.com/index.php?s=LHSMITHF&p=details&PHPSESSID=4532bq774e3asocq36abo1tvd7&eventCode=8865

Have included some extended thoughts below I wrote after seeing it at the IFI open day a few weeks ago.

Dogtooth was, for this viewer, the very definition of a pleasant surprise. Having a few euro to spare when choosing tickets for the Dublin Film Festival a couple of years ago, I impulsively booked one for Giorgos Lanthimos' decidedly mental breakthrough on the strength of a brief glance at the synopsis. The film itself was startling: bold, hilarious, distinctive, shocking. It held up to a rewatch, but that initial viewing was revelatory.

The biggest problem with a pleasant cinematic surprise is that anticipation is unavoidably increased for the director's next film. Such is the case with Alps, Lanthimos' follow-up to his previous cult hit. From the playfully bizarre opening titles, this is very clearly the work of that new Greek auteur. But how does it measure up given that the shock of the new has inevitably passed?

The opening half hour of Alps is both its greatest asset and its biggest weakness. Dogtooth was certainly an obtuse, ambiguous film in its first act, but its nothing compared to the vagueness and uncertainty of Alps. Lanthimos is in no rush whatsoever to let the audience what is going on, instead presenting loosely connected sequences and characters while providing only the bare minimum of exposition and explanation. There's the same quietly subversive visual compositions and almost beyond deadpan humour, but catch this in the wrong mood and the film's challenging first third may prove maddening. If Dogtooth's quirks infuriated, Alps may irritate.

Luckily, Lanthimos eventually proves that he knows exactly what he's doing. When the jigsaw pieces come together and the film's overarching concepts and narrative become evident, Alps proves to be beautifully frustrating.

This is a spoiler of sorts, I guess, but it's eventually revealed that the main character (Aggeliki Papoulia, one of the daughters from Dogtooth) - referred to only as her mountainous pseudynom Monte Rosa - is a member of a group (Alps) that provides a strange sort of counseling to grieving individuals: acting as a substitute for the deceased in exchange for a fee (the first four sessions are free!). The death of a young tennis player provokes Monte Rosa to begin to rebel against her colleagues, including strict leader Montblanc (Aris Servetalis)

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In some ways, the narrative trajectory of Alps recalls the subplot in Dogtooth about 'outside help' Christina. Both characters attempt to reject the bizarre rules of the world they find themselves in: relatively normal people in extraordinary circumstances. Monte Rosa's misadventures here are strange ones, that become more absurd, perverse and violent as the film progresses. The distinction between her 'real life' and 'job' become increasingly murky for both the viewer and the character, and ultimately become almost inseparable as the film draws to its predictably uncertain conclusion (brilliantly, hilariously uncertain, I hasten to add).

Once you have adjusted to the film's wholly unusual tone and pacing, Alps proves itself to be worth the effort. It's very, very funny: scenes such as a manufactured argument and the brilliantly uncomfortable sex scene that follows are delightful in their eccentricity and dark comic timing. Although Monte Rosa enjoys a more traditional character arc than anyone in Dogtooth did, this is still a purposefully cold, emotionally removed film. I'm trying to get through this review without repeatedly using the word deadpan, but like most of the New Wave of Greek film its the most appropriate word to describe Alps' narrative and visual styles.

What's it all about, then? A study of grief and loss? An exercise in social satire and straight-up surrealism? Dare I even suggest an abstract commentary on Greek economic bankruptcy, debt and bailouts? It can be anything you want it to be really. What is certain is that it's another beguilingly offbeat work from a very distinctive director. It may lack the immediacy and sense of discovery many of us experienced with Dogtooth. But despite a sluggish yet considered opening act, Alps reveals itself as a fascinating, playful and intelligent successor to one of recent year's most unexpected greats.

Irish Aris

Thanks a million for this, johnny ultimate. I didn't know about the screening, I will try to be there.
To be honest, my interest in Alps is because I am Greek.
I absolutely loathed Dogtooth, found it disturbing and annoying. And generally I am not a big fan of his filmography (Kinetta, his film before Dogtooth, was a film difficult to understand and his debut, My Best Friend was a mainstream comedy, not worth mentioning)
But, probably because his stories are always weird, I am interested to go back and give him another chance. Plus he usually has very good casting, actors/actresses that I have seen and loved in Greek theatres. Both Aris Servetalis (had also played in Kinetta) and Aggeliki Papoulia are among my favourite Greek actors and they have a history of supporting their roles very well.
I will come back for more discussion after I have seen the film, mind you this time I am not expecting much (and hope to be pleasantly surprised)

johnny_ultimate

Irish Aris wrote: »

Thanks a million for this, johnny ultimate. I didn't know about the screening, I will try to be there.
To be honest, my interest in Alps is because I am Greek.
I absolutely loathed Dogtooth, found it disturbing and annoying. And generally I am not a big fan of his filmography (Kinetta, his film before Dogtooth, was a film difficult to understand and his debut, My Best Friend was a mainstream comedy, not worth mentioning)
But, probably because his stories are always weird, I am interested to go back and give him another chance. Plus he usually has very good casting, actors/actresses that I have seen and loved in Greek theatres. Both Aris Servetalis (had also played in Kinetta) and Aggeliki Papoulia are among my favourite Greek actors and they have a history of supporting their roles very well.
I will come back for more discussion after I have seen the film, mind you this time I am not expecting much (and hope to be pleasantly surprised)

As I said, Alps is even more obtuse and 'difficult' than Dogtooth was, so I'd definitely go in with an open mind if you can. Can easily imagine fans of his previous work hating this. But films as singular as this do deserve a viewing, and hopefully it will encourage some lively discussion

Enjoy the screening anyway. Still deciding whether to go along myself, but I would love to Lanthimos talking about his work!

Footoo

Instantwatcher tells me this is coming to Netflix US on 4th Dec

http://instantwatcher.com/upcoming_titles?page=3

Irish Aris

I went to the screening of Alps and stayed for the Q&A too. I'm glad I did, because now I can put Giorgos Lanthimos in my black list - for his films which I generally don't like, but mostly for being phoney and a liar (or inaccurate at best).

For the film itself I don't have much to say. With Lanthimos' films I always wait for the film to sink in me before making a judgement. First impression is not good though, because the film felt cold, I didn't receive any real emotions, so I wasn't feeling really involved. I understand that this probably was the direction he wanted to give, but having seen 3 of his leading actors (Aris Servetalis, Aggeliki Papoulia, Arian Lambent) elsewhere, here they looked like wooden dolls.
But my main problem was the Q&A afterwards. It was between Lanthimos and a lad I suppose is a film critic (only 2-3 questions from the audience in the end). In a question about his filmography, he told us that his first film was Kinetta. Wrong. The first film he directed was My Best Friend (codirected with Lakis Lazopoulos, a very mainstream comedian in Greece), I can understand that it doesn't fit in with the sophisticated profile he know "sells", but it is a fact. Then, in a comment about people outside Greece not knowing anything about Greek films (except for Theodoros Aggelopoulos), he went on to dismiss Greek films in total as bad and kind of declared himself as the first independent filmmaker in Greece. I mean. .. please!!! I am from Greece and I have been seeing Greek films since early 90's. You are not the beginning or the end on Greek filming, just a small (in my opinion really small) part of it. Then he stated that Dogtooth was received triumphantly in Greece from everybody (which is not accurate, there was support from critics and the Film Academy, but many people disliked the film, there were big debates/fights in forums back then), and that later on everybody turned their back on him, because he didn't play the "system's game". Seriously?? You can sell that to other countries, back home it would be a different story, people would probably laugh at you.

I held the opinion that no matter the fact I don't like his films, I would always give a shot to any new film he might make. I am not so sure anymore, 'cause I find his attitude full of fake intellectualism and I really dislike that.